This invention relates to electronically controlled multiple pattern sewing machines and, more particularly, to a stitch pattern selection and informational display arrangement for such sewing machines.
Sewing machines employing sophisticated electronic technology for the storage and subsequent retrieval of stitch pattern information for a multiplicity of patterns have enjoyed great commercial success in recent years. With the advent of integrated circuitry and single chip microcomputers, great savings in space have been achieved and the number of patterns which may be stored in the sewing machine's memory is virtually unlimited. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,506 and 4,177,744 disclose pattern display and selection arrangements for electronically controlled multiple pattern sewing machines wherein all of the patterns which may be sewn by the sewing machine are at all times displayed to the operator. Unfortunately, an array of two dozen or more selectable patterns tends to confuse an operator. Adding to the confusion that an operator suffers when being overwhelmed by a large number of selectable patterns is the fact that at any given time the operator only desires to sew a single type of stitch such as, for example, a construction stitch, a buttonhole stitch, a hemming stitch or a decorative stitch. Thus, the operator is forced to find from among all of the possible stitches, a smaller group of stitches of the type desired to be sewn and then to select a particular stitch from among this group. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pattern selection and display arrangement for an electronically controlled multiple pattern sewing machine which is easy to use without confusing the operator.
It would also be desirable to provide on the sewing machine itself "task aid" information to inform the operator of the particular application for which each type of stitch is suited and also as to which attachments should be utilized for each of the different stitches. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide such task aid information in juxtaposition with the pattern display.